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Allison Family History

Allison Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: patronymic from the Middle English female personal name Alice Alis (see Allis ) + -son meaning ‘Alice's son’. English and Scottish: from the Middle English female personal name Alison a common pet form of Alice Alis. See Allis and compare Ellison . Scottish: in some cases a late variant of Allanson (see also Allinson ). Scottish: variant of Callison a shortened form of McAlison a Gaelic patronymic based on the personal name Alison (see 2 above).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Callison, Allinson, Allis, Alliston, Addison, Alexson, Ellison

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Where is the Allison family from?

You can see how Allison families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Allison family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Allison families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 153 Allison families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 22% of all the recorded Allison's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Allison families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Allison surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Allison ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Allison. 17% of Allison men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Allison women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Allison were Truck Driver and Maid. .

View Census Data for Allison | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    17%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Maid
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Allison family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 379,000 census records available for the last name Allison. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Allison census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 34,000 immigration records available for the last name Allison. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 65,000 military records available for the last name Allison. For the veterans among your Allison ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Allison lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Allison life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Allison in 1940 was 45, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Allison

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